One Done, 23 to go

In my quest to have all my Christmas cards done on time this year, I have completed ONE.  I was able to play with the Featured Stamper challenge over at Splitcoast yesterday.  We were celebrating Tracy aka Whoistracy as our featured stamper.  I was lucky enough to come across Tracy's Juggling Santa.  I have that stamp set!  I used my Copics to color and Tim Holtz Distressing ink in Old Paper to make it look more vintage.  The paper is from Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather, love that paper!!!  I added a punched snowflake (SU Punch) and some glitter to give it more dimension.  Some SU gingham ribbon finishes it off.

I seem to be coming down with something, so I'm going to take a little rest and hopefully be able to create some more this afternoon.

Have a happy Monday,

Wendy

A Three-Day Weekend Full of Stamping (oh, and some cleaning too!)

Whew! I never thought Friday would get here this week.  Lots of work and not much time for anything else.  I didn't even have time to post my cards that I made last weekend.  So, to start off a weekend that I hope will allow me time to create, here are my poor, dear cards that have waited so patiently for their turn in the spotlight.

I created my first card for last weeks' Sketch Challenge over at SCS.  This challenge is great for when you just feel like coloring and don't want to think too much about how you want to layout your card.  I used this great set from Stepping Stones Stamps.  This stamp company knows how to create some humorous sentiments!  I chose this one for my friend Jane's birthday, because she has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh.  Happy Birthday Janey!  The doughnut is stamped once on white CS and then stamped again and cut out to add dimension.  I added some Crystal Effects to the frosting for a little gloss and added glitter to the candles.  Believe it or not, the DP is some Christmas paper I had left over (Cosmo Cricket).  On we go to the next card...

This card was created for last weeks' Technique Spotlight.  The tutorial showed how to create a faux tile technique.  This turned out to be lots of fun and I plan to make more of these.  I used a retired SU set called "Country Pleasures".  The sentiment is from a different set, (don't remember which one at the moment).  I stamped the image and colored with Copics, then cut the "tiles" into sections.  As you can see, they're not uniform in size (only in a perfect world), but I like the way this came out.  I used Crystal Effects to add a glaze to each tile and then pieced them together on my card.  I'm going to be sending this thank you card out to you Allie, so watch your mailbox.

Well, I think, while the sun is shining, I'll go check on the remnants of my garden and then it's on to more creating and cleaning (if I have to).

Have a lovely weekend,

Wendy

Just a Quick Thank You

This will be a quick post, as I'm off to join friends to see "The King's Speech" (can't wait!).  I was able to join the Featured Stamper Challenge for this week over at Splitcoast.  The FS is WhiteRockMama aka: Marisa.  I chose Marisa's card Cherry Blossoms in Winter to case. 
Here is my Christmas Season Thanks:

I used the "Black Magic" technique again, but kept Marisa's basic sketch.  Hope you like it.
Til Next Time,
Wendy

Happy New Year, 2011!

Happy New Year Everyone!

2011 will be a momentous year for me. It will be the last year that I'm in my 40's. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about almost being 50. Other than some new aches and pains and about 15 pounds that I can't seem to lose, I still feel like I did when I was in my 20's. Nevertheless, I want to make this year a good one; full of creative endeavors.

First, I want to try new creative pursuits.  I think we all get too comfortable with the way we know how to craft.  Here's my first "new" creation:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This card was created using the Black Magic technique.  I'm sure this is an old technique for most of you, but I had never tried it.  The most challenging aspect of working with this technique was to find a stamp that was solid.  I don't have many of those.  I noticed that the retired SU set called "Fresh Cuts" had solid aspects to it, and as an added bonus, it also had script and line work all in one stamp.  I stamped the image in Color Box Frost White.  Then I went to my office job for 8 hours.  Yes, this is what works for me now; start in the morning and finish when I come home.  I think of ways I want to work my creation all day at work, and then when I come home, I just put it together.  Anyway, by the time I came home and was able to craft, my image was quite dry.  I used Prisma Pencils to color my solid images.  I chose a light and a dark shade of each color in order to create dimension.  I then highlighted the image with white gel pen and a gold glitter pen.  The DP is from a gorgeous pad of "Monet-like" patterns by K&Co.  I also used a little charm from a company called Blue Moon.  The charm was originally silver, but I embossed it with gold embossing powder.  You would never know it was originally silver, huh?  The ribbon, sentiment and punched oval and photo corner are all from SU.  I learned this technique on Splitcoast for their weekly technique Here.

 

Another new technique I'm honing in 2011 is learning to master Copics.  I acquired some new ones for Christmas, so now to use them!

Here, I colored my bear from SU's retired "Favorite Teddy Bear" with E31, E33 and E35.  There are also touches of R20 for giving her a little blush.  I took the flowers from the flower pot in the set and filled the wagon with them.  They were colored with shades of yellow, yellow-orange and blue.  The wheels of the wagon were cut out and popped up.  I added a little yellow hair tie to my bear's head and some stitching to the DP and there you have it.  The sentiment is from SU, and came out a little too light, so I went over it with a Glaze pen.  Oh, I also used a MS border punch for the top of the card.  This is for the Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoast, so you can find this sketch under challenges.

That's all for now.  Have a wonderful New Year's weekend.  I'm off to take down Christmas decorations and perhaps check out the Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoast.

W.